U.S. Orders Halt to Benefits for Immigrants
Posted on 12/01/25 at 16:12
- Cuts to Tax Benefits
- Increased control over remittances
- Alerts over suspicious activities
US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced Friday that the government will reduce tax benefits for undocumented immigrants and increase surveillance on remittances, complying with President Donald Trump’s order to stop immigration “from all Third World countries.”
“Under the order of @POTUS @realDonaldTrump, we are working to cut federal benefits for illegal aliens and preserve them for US citizens,” Bessent wrote while sharing Trump’s migration announcement on X.
Cuts to Immigrant Benefits in the US
The Treasury Secretary says the United States will cut federal benefits for undocumented immigrants under Trump’s directive.
Follow the latest updates here https://t.co/ZBuQeH8BET pic.twitter.com/AagIACNGNp— CNN en Español (@CNNEE) November 28, 2025
According to the Treasury Secretary, the measure will exclude undocumented immigrants and “other non-qualifying foreigners” from the refundable portions of tax credits such as the Earned Income Tax Credit, the Additional Child Tax Credit, the American Opportunity Credit, and credits for contributions to savings accounts.
YOU MAY BE INTERESTED: Trump Would Cut Disability Benefits by 20%: What It Would Mean for Retirees
In the original post that Bessent reshared, Trump claimed that in the US, an immigrant earning $30,000 a year with a green card receives “approximately” $50,000 annually in benefits for his family.
The president warned that he will permanently halt migration “from all Third World countries” following Wednesday’s shooting in which an Afghan citizen fired at the National Guard in Washington, D.C., leaving one officer dead and another critically injured.
Why It Matters
🚨 | BREAKING: Trump has ordered a national financial alert: money-transfer companies must report as ‘suspicious activity’ any cross-border transfer over $2,000 made by illegal immigrants.
According to the Treasury, the measure seeks to prevent… pic.twitter.com/BZjuSayXzn— News Day Mundo (@NewsDayMundo) November 28, 2025
Along the same lines, Bessent shared a Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) alert issued Friday regarding cross-border money transfers, including remittances, which totaled more than $72 billion sent from the United States in 2024.
The notice stated that although most remittances sent from the US are legitimate and provide essential support to families abroad, FinCEN has previously warned that malicious actors have used small-dollar transfers to facilitate or commit terrorist financing.
The alert asked businesses that handle money transfers to remain “vigilant” in detecting and reporting “suspicious activity,” especially in transactions involving undocumented immigrants, citing risks related to money laundering and drug trafficking.
FinCEN reminded these businesses that they are required to report suspicious activity involving amounts of at least $2,000.
What Comes Next
Bessent backed the president’s position, stating that “if you are here illegally, there is no place for you in our financial system,” and called the use of financial institutions by illegal foreigners to move illicitly obtained funds an act of exploitation.
The Secretary said these practices “will end” with the measures announced, which aim to strengthen immigration and financial controls under the federal government’s directive — marking a significant expansion of US immigrant benefits cuts and enforcement policies.
